Elephants were the tanks of the ancient battlefield.
An elephant charging into a group of soldiers or horses could decimate a formation. That’s assuming the sheer psychological impact of watching a giant war beast with pointy tusks charging and shrieking like murder incarnate didn’t first cause the opposing force to flee in terror.
This first appeared earlier and is being reposted due to reader interest.
They could smash fortifications, impale people on their tusks, and stomp people to death under their huge feet and enormous weight. They towered over the battlefield.
In addition to their brute strength and the inherent psychological impact on the enemy, elephants were incredibly useful for logistics. They’re also highly intelligent.